Adjustable stuffer chute

Abstract

A baler ( 10 ) has a stuffer chute assembly ( 22 ) with upper and lower curved walls ( 44, 46 ) forming a stuffer chamber ( 24 ). A rear portion ( 54 ) of the upper wall ( 44 ) extends downwardly and forwardly from a baling chamber ( 12 ) and a forward portion ( 50 ) extends above an inlet opening to the stuffer chamber ( 24 ). The upper wall ( 44 ) has a plurality of laterally spaced-apart wrappers ( 52, 56 ), with adjacent wrappers forming slots ( 70, 72 ) extending generally from said crop receiving inlet opening to an outlet opening ( 48 ) for cooperation with tines ( 40 ) of a feeding mechanism ( 36 ). The wrappers ( 52, 56 ) are movable relative to the lower wall ( 46 ) at a forward end ( 60 ) and at a rearward end ( 66 ) of the upper wall ( 44 ) so as to change a cross-sectional dimension of the stuffer chamber ( 24 ). The baler ( 10 ) has a forward wall adjusting mechanism ( 80 ) for setting a forward end ( 60 ) of the upper wall ( 44 ) in a predetermined position, and a rear wall adjusting mechanism ( 110 ) for setting a rear end ( 66 ) of the upper wall ( 44 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An agricultural baler comprising:
 a frame; 
 a baling chamber mounted to said frame and extending generally fore-and-aft with respect to an intended direction of movement of the baler; 
 a plunger mounted for reciprocation within the baling chamber for compressing crop material fed into the baling chamber to form a bale thereof; 
 a stuffer chute assembly comprising a curved upper wall and a curved lower wall forming a stuffer chamber, the stuffer chute assembly comprising a feeding mechanism with a plurality of tines for moving crop materials through the stuffer chamber and into the baling chamber, the stuffer chamber communicating at one end with a crop receiving inlet opening through which crop material travels from a pickup assembly into the stuffer chamber during operation of the baler and an outlet opening defined by an opening into the baling chamber; 
 wherein the upper wall has a rear portion that is defined by a series of laterally spaced apart curved stuffer wrappers that extend downwardly and forwardly from the baling chamber and a forward portion that is defined by a series of laterally spaced apart curved packer wrappers that extend generally above the inlet opening to the stuffer chamber, with the forward portion and the rear portion having higher elevations than a middle portion of the upper wall, wherein adjacent stuffer wrappers and adjacent packer wrappers form slots extending generally from said crop receiving inlet opening to said outlet opening for cooperation with said tines of the feeding mechanism, wherein the packer wrappers and the stuffer wrappers are movable relative to the lower wall at a forward end and at a rearward end of the upper wall so as to change a cross-sectional dimension of the stuffer chamber, and wherein a connecting end of each of the packer wrappers in the series of packer wrappers is connected to an associated connecting end of one of the stuffer wrappers of the series of stuffer wrappers at a middle portion of the upper wall with a movable connection; 
 an forward wall adjusting mechanism connected to the packer wrappers for setting a forward end of the upper wall in a predetermined position; and 
 a rear wall adjusting mechanism connected to the stuffer wrappers for setting a rear end of the upper wall in a predetermined position; 
 wherein the forward wall adjusting mechanism moves the forward end of the upper wall independently of the rear wall adjusting mechanism, and the rear wall adjusting mechanism moves the rear end of the upper wall independently of the forward wall adjusting mechanism, and the moveable connection allows movement of the connecting end of each packer wrapper relative the connecting end of its associated stuffer wrapper when either the forward end or the rear end of the upper wall is moved. 
 
     
     
       2. Baler according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower wall is fixedly mounted to the frame. 
     
     
       3. The baler according to  claim 1 , wherein the forward portion of the upper wall and the rear portion of the upper wall combine to give the upper wall a general U-shape with the forward portion and the rear portion having higher elevations that the middle portion. 
     
     
       4. The baler according to  claim 3 , wherein the packer wrappers have upper ends that are positioned generally above the inlet opening of the stuffer chamber and extend downwardly and rearwardly to lower ends at a low point in the middle portion of the upper wall. 
     
     
       5. The baler according to  claim 4 , wherein upper ends of the packer wrappers are each individually attached to an elongated connector member positioned transverse to the width of the stuffer chute assembly. 
     
     
       6. The baler according to  claim 5 , wherein the connector member is connected to the forward wall adjustment mechanism, and wherein the forward wall adjustment mechanism includes a rockshaft positioned transverse to the stuffer chute assembly and rotatably mounted to the frame and at least one crank arm fixed to rockshaft, and an actuator, wherein the one end of the crank arm is connected to the connector member and an opposite end of the crank arm is connected to the actuator. 
     
     
       7. The baler according to  claim 6 , wherein the actuator is positioned such that when the actuator is activated, and the crank arm causes movement of the upper ends of the packer wrappers in a substantially vertical direction to effect movement of the forward portion of the upper wall. 
     
     
       8. The baler according to  claim 6 , wherein the forward wall adjusting mechanism comprises an electrical actuator. 
     
     
       9. The baler according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable connection comprises a bolt passing through connecting ends of the associated stuffer and packer wrappers.